Windproof lamp



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IIIII IIIIIIIII. IIIIIII IIIII latented Dec. 4, i923;

DEVEREUX JOHN GREGORY WATKTS, IE LINCOLN, ENGLAN D.

WINDPELOGF LAMP.

Application filed July 26, 1927, Serial No. 208,527, and in Great Britain August 31, 1926.

This invention comprises improvements in or relating to wind proof lamps and has among its objects to provide an oil lamp which will burn clearly and evenly Vand with almost complet-e immunity from flare in any wind, will provide a constantly good light for exceptionally long periods without necessitating the trimming of the wick or attention other than maintaining the supply of oil, and will burn without smoking and consequently without depositing soot upon the lamp top or other parts.

These objects are attained by so construct- V ing the lamp as to obtain a scientific balancing of air currents circulating within the lamp and without the employment of baille plates or gauzes which in a wind or draught necessitate a comparatively small flameor the use of a lamp chamber or casing which is large in comparison with the size of the flame. i i Y .n

According to the present invention a 'lamp is provided embodying an outer cylinder closed at its base or lower part and having concentric therewith at its upper part a plu` rality or series of open based inner cylinders of proportionately decreasing diameters and lengths, said inner cylinders having outwardly projecting top flanges spacedrone above another, and the arrangement, disposition and relative vdimensions of said cylinders and flanges being such as to provide within the lamp a space in which a flame will burn undisturbed by any outside air currents or climatic conditions yet producing its own convective currents lwhich have both ingress and egress at the top of the lamp. Y n

Forthe purpose of more fully describing the nature of this invention reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein V Figure l illustrates in part sectionaln elevation a lamp constructed in accordance with this invention, the upwardly converging broken lines indicating graphically the proportionately decreasing depths l and diameters of the cylinders. A l a Figures 2, 3, l and 5 illustratein vertical section Amodified constructions hereinafter described. Y

In one method ofcarrying out the inventionthe lamp is provided with an outer cylinder l yof glass or the like or of any suitable l vmaterial having one or more windows of glass or equivalent transparent material, said cylinder being closed at its base, advantageously projecting flanges il, 5, respectively by which said cylinders are supported in position.

several cylinders are spaced apart radially so as to form annular passages 6, 7, and the top of the innermost cylinder 5 is closed. Also, the several flanges la, 4a and 5a are suitably spaced by means such as adjustable screw members 8, the spaces opening out at the periphery of the flanges forming contin nations of the annular passages 6, 7.

lit nhas been found by experiment that by providing concentric cylinders of definite relative dimensions proportionately decreasing both diametrically and vertically from the outer Y to the innermost cylinder, and also by mounting said cylinders so as to forni the annular passages 6, 7 between so same of proportionally decreasing size inwardly and the openings 9, l0 at the flange peripheries of proportionally decreasing sizes, a flame space ,is provided, the air within which space is undisturbed by exterior air currents and atmospheric conditions. Additionally it is found that the liame will choose for its own convective currents the outer passages such as 6 and 9 as inlets and the inner passages such as 7 and 90 l0 as outlets.

To produce the desired results, the following proportional sizes of the several parts and passages have been found eective. The outer cylinder or casing l may be of any reasonable size but having a height greater than the diameter, the flange l? being formed of metal or any other suitable material and secured inany desired manner. The cylinders 4 and 5 are of simple descending proportion, 100 i. e. the diameter of the outer cylinder being to the second cylinder 4l as the latter is to the third cylinder 5, and the lengths or heights ofthe inner cylinders l, 5 are equal to their respective diameters. The flanges la, la and 105 5LL are spaced apart to anamount equal to the annularspaces 6 and 7 between the respective cylinders.

To complete the efficiency of the arrange ment the peripheral openings 9, l0 should be 110 so conracted that the total circumferential area of each opening should equal the circumferential area of the annular passage with which the same communicates, i. e. the circumferential area of opening 9 should equal that of passage 6, and the ara of opening l0 that of passage 7. In other words, the width. of a required external opening multiplied by the circumference of the the flanges must equal the difference in superficial area of the two cylinders bounding the annular passage communicating with said opening.

So long as the inlet and outlet openings 9 and l0 are kept in correct relative proportion it is' possible and sometimes advisable proportionately to reduce or increase same, and to this end said openings may be adjustable.`

lt will be appreciated that the number of concentric cylinders employed may be varied as desired, but for the majority of purposes and excepting when constructing comparatively large lamps, the provision of two or three inner cylinders is sufiicient.

The burner is preferably so positioned that the flame of the lamp is located at or below a horizontal line in the main cylinder or casing 1 yat a position where the depth of said cylinder equals its diameter. The flame can, if desired, be unprotected, but owing to the extremefluidity of air and to the difficulty in `obtaining absolutely accurate construction, the central cone of air may have occasional movement and cause small lateral movements of the flame, a'nd in order to obviate this and ensure an absolutely steady flame, a small glass or like chimney or 'tube ll is preferably assembled around the flame so as to project up into said air cone.

rlhge contracted inlet and outlet openings 9 andk lOinay be produced in a variety of ways. In Figure'l, the flanges a and 511 are formed with depending peripheral rims lb and 5l).

In Figure 2' the flanges a and 5ft are inclined downwardly to their peripheries, the inclination of ll, being less than that of 5a.

In Figure 8 the lower or main cylinder flange la has a small upturned rim l, the upper flange 5iL has a depending rim 5l and the intermediate Vflange Lla has a rim -l which projects both upwardly and downwardly therefrom.

In Figure 4l the lower flange i slopes upwardly and the upper flange 5 downwardly towards their peripheries, while the intermediate flange 4a is a dual member formed of two plates inclining in a. divergent manner outwardly In Figure 5 each of the several flanges comprises a fiat disc, the area of the openings at the circumference of said discs being contracted to the required relative sizes by gauze or like perforated material l2 of calculated mesh.

ln a further construction three parallelly spaced flanges l, la and 5a are provided and around the periphery of the central flange la is fixed or formed a plain circular strip of proper calculated width so placed as to provide openings 9 and l0 ofthe enact required sizes.

In a lamp constructed in accordance with this invention, the lamp top composed of spaced discs is maintained comp aratiyely cool by reason of the free circulation of cold air over and betweenl said flanges.

l claim l. A lamp embodying anouter cylindrical casing having a closedv base and an open top, an outstanding flange at said top, a plurality of open-based cylinders assembled within the upper part of said outer casing, said inner cylinders being of diameters and lengths decreasing in simple proportion, the smallest cylinder being closed at the top, a burner within said outer casing below the inner cylinders, outwardly projecting flanges at the upper ends of said inner cylinders, said flanges being spaced one over another, and the relative disposition and dimensions of the several Icylinders and flanges being suoli as to form within the lamp` a space within which a flame will burn undisturbed and una'ected by exterior air currents or other climatic conditions yet producing its own lconvective currents which have both ingress and egress at the circumference of the. top flanges.

2. fi lamp comprising an outer cylindrical casing having a closed base and an open top, Y

an outstanding flange at said top, a plurality of open-based cylinders assembled within the upper par-t of said outer casing, said inner cylinders being diameters and lengths decreasing in simple proportion, the smallest cylinder being closedat the top, a burner within said outer casing below the inner cylinders, outwardly Vproj'ecting flanges at the upper ends of said inner cylinders, said flanges being spaced one. over another so as to form air inlet and outlet openings at the circumference of the flanges, and the circumferential area of each of said openings being equal to the cross sectional V`area of that vertical annular 'passage reen two-of the cylinders with which said 4opening communicates.

3. A lamp 4comprising an out-fer opentopped cylindrical casing of a height greater thanits diameter, a closed base to said casing, a plurality of cylinders concentrically arranged within the upper faart of said outer casing, saidV cylinders being of simple Vdescending pro-portion, i. e. the diameter of the outermost cylinder being to the second cylinder as the latter is to the third and the lengths or arial dimensions of the inner cylinders being equalto their respective diai'neters, the several cylinders having outstanding top flanges, said flanges being spaced one over Y ential area of each such opening beingequal to that of the annular passage between the cylinders with Which said opening connnuntionately decreasing diameters and lengths, 10

a burner Within the Outer casing below the inner cylinders, outwardly projecting flanges at the top of the outer casingand inner cylinders, said'langes being spaced one over the other and means for enabling the spacing of 15 v said flanges to be accurately adjusted.

D. J. G. WATKINS. 

